Why I’m not switching over to Google Keep

Google recently launched Google Keep, a new note-taking app available on Android and the web. Google Keep allows you to quickly jot ideas down, create checklist and add photos to keep track of stuff. The notes are stored in Google Drive and synced to all your devices.

Sounds like a great Evernote competitor. Although I don’t take a lot of notes and I don’t have an Android phone, I should test out Google Keep like all tech enthusiast. But I didn’t. In fact, I’m hardly excited about this revolutionary note taking app especially when the announcement came just 1 week after Google announced that they are killing Google Reader.

Before you say that I’m just bitter over Google killing Google Reader, let me explain myself. Yes, I’m upset that Google is killing Google Reader. But this is not the first time Google killed a product. I still remember that I was very excited when Google announced Google Wave. I spend hours experimenting Google Wave with my friends. It was clearly Beta (or maybe even Alpha) but we hang on and waited for Google to sort it out. But instead of sorting out Google Wave, they decided to kill it.

Google Keep also reminds me about Google Notebook which was shut down in July 2012. So Google shut down a service only to launch another somewhat similar service 9 months down the road? Why can’t Google keep Google Notebook and upgrade everyone to Google Keep?

Google Wave, Notebook and Reader aren’t the only products that Google killed. There is a long list of products that Google launched and killed within a few years. I understand that Google is taking advice to “Fail Often, Fail Fast”. But it shouldn’t be at the expense of the users. I don’t feel safe to keep my notes on Google Keep. What if Google decides to pull the plug on Google Keep in a few months time because the take up rate wasn’t fantastic?

I feel much safer to put my notes on Evernote. That is because note taking is Evernote’s core business. I can be sure that Evernote will not kill the service suddenly. And I don’t think Evernote is closing down anytime soon. I can be sure that Evernote is here to stay. I wish I can say the same for Google Keep.

So when Google launched Google Keep, I said to myself, “No more, Google. No more.” I’m not going to invest my time and effort in yet another new experiment that you put out on the web. I’m not going to be a guinea pig to test out your new tool. Let others be your Beta testers. Sorry Google, I’m staying with Evernote.

Maybe in a few years time, when we are certain that Google Keep is a keeper then I might reconsider switching.